Gene therapy for infectious diseases.
Gene therapy is being investigated as an alternative treatment for a wide range of infectious diseases that are not amenable to standard clinical management. Approaches to gene therapy for infectious diseases can be divided into three broad categories: (i) gene therapies based on nucleic acid moieties, including antisense DNA or RNA, RNA decoys, and catalytic RNA moieties (ribozymes); (ii) protein approaches such as transdominant negative proteins and single-chain antibodies; and (iii) immunotherapeutic approaches involving genetic vaccines or pathogen-specific lymphocytes. It is further possible that combinations of the aforementioned approaches will be used simultaneously to inhibit multiple stages of the life cycle of the infectious agent.
Bunnell
B A
BA
Clinical Gene Therapy Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1851, USA.
Morgan
R A
RA
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006801:Humans